This invention relates to shoe construction, and more particularly to a shoe particularly designed for maximum comfort without sacrifice of styling.
Today, conventional footwear, exclusive of athletic footwear, is little different in structural and functional design than the footwear of 50 to 75 years ago. Improvements have been made in the structural engineering of shoes, that is shoe making, in improving the dynamics of the shoe structure, as opposed to the "biomechanics" of the mechanical function of the foot relative to the shoe, insofar as conventional footwear is concerned. Substantial strides have been made in the biomechanics of athletic and athleisure footwear by constantly improving the structure and the material in the athletic and athleisure shoes to improve the comfort of the wearer. On the other hand, very little improvement has been made in conventional or dress shoes, particularly dress shoes of high style.
However, improved synthetic materials have been used in both conventional and dress shoes as well as in athletic and athleisure shoes.
Ethylene vinyl acetate (EVA) is a well known synthetic material made from ethylene and a vinyl radical to produce an outsole material of lighter weight than leather of a high degree of resilience, flexibility, and longer wear than leather. EVA outsoles have been used in leisure and dress shoes.
A urethane foam material under the trade name of "PORON" produced by the Rogers Corporation of East Woodstock, Conn. has been used in bottom fillers for some shoes. "PORON" has a high degree of resilience or elasticity and therefore when used as a bottom filler resists the "molded" shape in the insole produced by the compressibility and lack of resilience in prior filler materials such as ground cork or felt. Because of its greater elasticity, the improved urethane foam material maintains a substantially uniform level area in the ball area of the foot for supporting the metatarsal bone heads. "PORON" has been used extensively in athletic and casual shoes and in moccasin-type shoe construction for cushion support and shock protection, primarily as a bottom filler, and sometimes as an insole.
Flexible fiberboard, such as fiberboard produced under the "TEXON" trademark, by the Emhart Company, has been used as an insole piece.
Fiberboard tucks and steel shanks are well known in the art of shoe construction for supporting the backpart of the heel and instep of the foot.
Polyethlyene foam insert liners have been used in athletic shoes and leisure shoes.
A typical highly stylized dress shoe is made with a leather upper, leather heel, leather outsole, and leather or synthetic insole member with a tuck and steel shank. Moreover, such dress shoes are usually provided with stitched welts of leather in a manner to provide a highly esthetic appearance.